The iconic Girgaon beach is nearly empty as Mumbaikars have decided to stay indoors.
The highly contagious Novel Coronavirus, which has brought the world to a partial lockdown, has put Mumbai's famed resilient spirit to test again.
Mumbai -- the city that never sleeps or gets bogged down by calamities, and has braved serial bomb blasts, terror attacks and torrential rains -- is again being tested by the viral outbreak that has killed thousands across the world.
The city's public transport system, which is its lifeline, are seeing a drastic reduction in footfall, recreational places are closed for public. Spread over 390 km, the suburban railway, one of the busiest
commuter rail systems in the world operating 2,342 train services, has seen a drastic drop in the number of commuters as people practice social distancing to contain the spread of the virus.
The iconic Girgaon beach is nearly empty as Mumbaikars have decided to stay away from it. "Normally I sell 80-90 bottles of water, but now I am selling only 4-5 bottles. People are not coming at all," said Parasnath Verma, a water seller, giving account of how business on the beach has gone down drastically.
At the iconic Shivaji Park ground, which is known to produce great cricketers, an emptiness has taken over. The ground is always full of people and even cricket coaching but now wears a deserted look. Although schools and colleges are closed till March 31, kids are not coming out to play.
Number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra are nearing 50, forcing Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to appeal to people avoid train and bus journey if not necessary to contain the coronavirus spread.
The pandemic has also forced the places of worship in the city to shut their doors. Siddhivinayak Temple has closed, while Mahim Church
has suspended mass gatherings and has taken its weekly novena
prayers online.
Government decided to close shops and establishments on alternate days. To avoid overcrowding, Dadar Vyapari sangh decided to close 900 shops for a week in Mumbai's dadar, which is a shopping hub.